Machine for cutting butter.



iNo. 874,133. PATENTED DEC. 17, 1907.

' R. W. STEVENS.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING BUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30. 1907.

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\N. 874,133. PATENTIEIFDHU. 17, 19m.

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MACHINE FOR GUTTINGBUTTER.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 30. 1907.

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attoinu 8 No. 874,133. PATENTED DEC. 1'7, 1907. R. W. STEVENS.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING BUTTER.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 30, 1907.

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PATENTED DEC. 17, 1907.

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APPLIQATION FILED JULY30. 1907.

' Witnesses No 874,133. PATENTED DEG. 1'7, 1907. R. W. STEVENS. MACHINE FOR CUTTING BUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30. 1907.

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vN0. 874,133. PATENTED DEC. 17, 1907.

R. W. STEVENS.

MAGHINE FOR (HITTING BUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY30. 1907.

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animate n QR); In eases attmmug s UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

RdBERT W. STEVENS, OF BUTTE, MONTANA.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING- BUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17', 1907.

Application filed July 30. 1907- Berial No. 386.235-

of various sizes without loss of time and labor in makin such adjustments.

With these 0 j ects in view, my invention consists in certain constructions, combinations and arrangements of .parts, the 'preferred form of which will be first described in connection with the accompanying drawing, and then the invention particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings wherein I show the preferred embodimentof my invention, and wherein the same part is designated by the same reference numeral Wherever it occurs, Figure 1 isa perspective view of the machine embodyinginy'invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section taken on line 3, 3, of Fig. 2, the parts being shown however in a slightly difierent position; Fig. 4 is a section taken at right angles to Fig. 3 on line 4, 4, of Fig. 2;,Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5, 5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the mechanism for holding the frame in its raised position; 6 is a detail perspective view of the parts of a recipro eating bar and its rack; Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the wire holding frame, and Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of one corner of the wire spacing frame.

1 designates the table frame standing on the legs 2, and 3 designates the top thereof, which preferably is formed of marble to add to the cleanliness of handling the butter. It is. entirely immaterial however on what sort of a base the machine is mounted.

4 designates four posts mounted on the top 3 and extendin u wardly therefrom. These posts are pre era ly, and as shown, arranged in the form of a rectangle.

7 designates a wire supporting frame shown in detail in Fig. 7. As best seen from this figure, the frame at its four corners is provided with openings 8 which are of a size to slide on the post 4. Through the sides of the frame are formed the slots 9 through which extend the hooks 10 carrying the cutting wires 11. tend through the slots, and on the outer end of the hooks are thumb screws 12 preferably bearing on washers 13, by means of which the wires are held under'the necessary tension. As will be noted, these wires may extend in both directions across the frame and divide the space within the frame into The shanks of the hooks are p a series of recta'n les, thus obviating the frame formed of four blades or bars 14, provided on the lower edge with notches 15. These bars are rigidly connected together by means of the corner brackets 16 provided with perforations 17 with which the tapped openings 18 in the frame 7 register.

20 are screws by means of which the frame formed by the blades 14 is removably secured to the frame 7.

Preferably I provide a plurality of s acing frames eachhaving notches 15 laido so as to produce the various sized cakes required or, lf-desired, a single-frame may be provided with the various combinations of notches. Preferably, however, I use a frame havin a single set of notches, and when it is desire to change the size of cake, remove the frame by taking out the four screws 20 and place a second frame in position, the wires carried by the frame 7 being adjusted so that they pass throu h the notches 15.

21 esignates a pair of yokes bored at their ends at 22 to pass over the post 4, the ends of the yokes being slotted at 23 to provide openings into which the sides of the frame 7 pass, as best shown in Fig. 1 the depth of the slots 23 being sufiicient to permit the rojecting ends of the books 10 passing the'ret rough/so frame can be moved horizontally out from its position in the machine, and a frame adapted to cut a different size inserted, thus avoiding the delays incident to change of location of the wires or removing the spacing frame therefrom.

.top 3.

25 designates a shaft mounted in suitable hearings in the frame 1 of the table, and pro- .vided with gears 26 engaging the racks.

27 is a handle mounted on one end of the 3 shaft 25 by means of which the shaft is operated to raise and lower the frame 7. In order to hold the frame 7 at any desired height I rovide on the shaft 25 a ratchet wheel 28,

a apted to be engaged by a pawl 29 mounted,

upon a rock shaft 30 supported in suitable bearings in the frame 1. Preferably this rock shaft extends outside the frame, and at each end is provided with an operating handle 32, by means of which the pawl 29 can be thrown into and out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 28. Also if desired, for convenience, the shaft 25 may extend out from both sides-of the machine and have an operating handle 27 at each end. By this construction it will be seen that the frame 7 can be positively held at any height desired.

In front of the posts 4 I mount a pair of pillars 33 which, at their base, are secured to the table top 3, and at their up er ends connected together by means of t e brace 34.

These pillars are longitudinally slotted as shown at 35, and 36 are hooks similar in construction to the hooks 10, and similarly provided with thumb screws 37, the hooks supporting the horizontal wires 38, by means of wllllich the mass to be cut is sliced horizonta y.

39 are a pair of s acing blades provided with notches 40, the lades being held in osition by means of the bolts 41 passing through the spacing collars 42 and into the pillars or posts 33 above and below the slots 35. By means of the collars 42 the blades are held beyond the ends of the hooks 36.

43 designates a guiding strip running longitudinally-and centrally of the table 3 and passing between pillars 33 and posts 4. Preferably this strip is removably secured, to the table to facilitate cleaning. beyond the posts 4, it is. provided with a stop 44 held in position by means of a bolt 45 passing through an elongated slot 46 in the stop, whereby the position of the stop may be adjusted.

47 designates a block, preferably of wood, though it may be formed of any other material desired, which is scored longitudinally and transversely on its upper face with the grooves 48, the grooves in the top of the block corresponding to the setting given the At its end wires 11 in the frame 7, and it is to be understood that various blocks are provided for the machine to correspond to the various settings which may be given the wires 1 1. The

block 47 is )rovided centrally with a groove 49 with whlch the guide 43 engages. Preferably, and as shown, the block at its sides is provided with the supporting rails 50, which rest on the top of the table, holding the body of the block out of contact with the table and the guide--43. At each end I rovide the block with a suitable handle 51, y means of which the block may be moved longitudinally of the guide in the operation of the machine, or lifted from the table.

52 designates a shaft mounted in suitable bearings in the frame 1 of the machine and provided on one or both ends, outside the frame, with an operating handle 53. In the central portion of the shaft is mounted a gear 54 adapted to mesh with a rack bar 55 formed or mounted on a bar 56 suitably guided to move beneath the table 3 arallel with the guide 43. At the outer en of the bar 56 I provide a bearing 57 for a supporting shaft 58, which is revented from passing through the bearing by any suitable means, as by a collar 59 mounted on the shaft. Adjustably mounted upon the shaft 58 above the bearing 57 is an arm 60 to the outer end of which is pivotally mounted a pusher block 61. .The block 61 1s preferably provided in its front face with grooves 62 in llne with the wires 38.

In the operation of my invention a block of butter or other similar material to be out is placed upon the supporting block 47 with the block in the positlon shown in Fig. 1. The pressure block 61 is swung behind the center of the material and the height of the block 61 adjusted by adjusting the arm 60 on the shaft 58 until the block 61 bears a ainst the central portion of the material. '1 e shaft 58 and the pivotal connection between the arm 60 andctheblock 61 will, as will be seen, permit the block to adapt itself to the angle of the material to be cut. handle 53 on the shaft 52 now being turned the gear 54 will operate through the rack 55 to force the 'block 61 forward and carry the material to be out between the pillars 33..

This will cause the wires 38 to cut the material into horizontal slabs or sections. When the wires have completely passed through the material they will pass into the slots .62 in the block 61 and complete the horizontal out. One of the handles 51 is now taken hold of and the block 47 moved alon guide 43 until it comes into contact wit the stop 44 which has been adjusted so-a's to center the material under the frame 7, the frame at this time being in the raised position shown in Fig. 1-. thrown out of engagement with its ratchet 28 by means of one of the operating handles The V the I The pawl -29 is now frame.

32 and by turning the crank 27 on the shaft 25 the gears 26 through the rack bars 24 draw down the frame and cause the wires to pass vertically through the butter or other material. This is continued until the wires pass completely through the butter and into the slots 48 in the block or bed 47. This operation cuts the butter into the desired sized cakes which, preferably, are removed while the frame is in its depressed position. After the cakes are removed the frame is raised, the block 61 moved back to its outer position, the block 47 drawn back to the position shown: in Fig. 1, or removed from the machine, and the operation can then be repeated. As, has been stated, the wires for making the horizontal cuts are spaced by means of the blades 39, which can be readily changed to provide blades having a different number of notches, or their notches in different relative position, the wires 38 being adjusted by moving the hooks 36 in the slots 35. The wires 11, as has been already stated, are referably adjusted for different sized cakes y changing the frames composed ,of the blades 14, and then adjusting the wires in the frame ,7 so that they correspond with the notches in the spacing Preferably metal parts which are above the table and which therefore are apt to come into contact with the butter or other'material being operated upon, are made of suitable ,noncorrodible metal. It is of course to be understood that they may be made of any other material if desired, thou h I have found by experiment that phosp or bronze is the mostsuitable metal to use, it being non-corrodible and not affected by the acids contained in the butter.

While I have claimed what I believe to be the preferred form of my invention, I desire to have it understood that many changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a butter cutter,- the combination with a frame, cutting wires mounted in. the frame and a spacing frame constructed of bars secured together at their ends and supported by said first mentioned frame and extending with in the same and engaging the wires to hold the same properly spaced.

2. In a butter cutter, the combination with an open frame, cutting wires extending across the same, a spacing frame constructed of bars connected together at their ends and for the sake of cleanliness, all.

'bar, a pusher block pivoted to the arm,

carried by said first mentioned frame and extending within the same and engaging the wires to hold the same properly spaced. 3. In a butter cutter, the combination with a frame, cutting wires crossing the same, a spacing1 frame constructed of bars connected toget er at their ends and removably mounted on said firstmentioned frame and extending within the same, and provided with notches adapted to engage the wires to hold the same properly spaced.

4. In a butter cutter, the combination with a support, a plurality of posts extending upwardl frame slidab y mounted on the posts, yokes provided with openings through which the posts pass, said yokes being also provided with slots into which the frame extends, racks carried by the yokes and extending down through the support and a gear mechanism for operating the racks to raise and lower the frame.

5. In a butter cutter, a frame provided with slots through its sides, and o positely disposed hooks mounted in said s ots with their hook portion extending within the frame, wires connecting the hooks means carried by the hooks and pressing against the exterior of the frame for adjusting the tension of the wires a spacing frame constructed of bars secured together at their'ends and supported by said first mentioned frame and extendin within the same and engaging the Wires to old the same properly spaced.

6. In a butter cutter, the combination with a support, of a air of posts mounted thereon, a wire exten ing between the posts, a block resting u on the support, a guide for guidin the bloc beneath the wire, a longitudina ly reciprocating bar mounted beneath the support, means for reciprocating the bar, a pusher carried by the bar, and adapted to engage the material on the block and move the block beneath the wire ,for the purpose described.

.7; In a butter cutter, the combination witha support, a pair of posts mounted thereon, a wire extending between the posts, a longitudinally reciprocating bar mounted beneath the support, an arm pivoted to the t e pivots of the arm and block being at right angles to each other, whereby said block may ad'ust itself to various shapes of material,

11 testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. ROBERT W. STEVENS. Witnesses:

L. P. SQUIER, K. E. KLEIN. 

